Gu Ailing Photo: VCG

February 8, 2022, will be a memorable day for two participants of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Nathan Chen and Gu Ailing, also known as Eileen Gu. On this day, Chen, the Chinese American figure skater, made history in Beijing when he recorded the highest short program score in the history of figure skating. As for China's young freestyle skier Gu, she took home the country's first-ever women's Olympic gold for snow sports.

Both Chen and Gu are US-born athletes of Chinese descent, but news reports about them in the US are almost as different as chalk and cheese.

US media cheered at Chen's fantastic performance. At the same time, they didn't forget to cover Gu's victory with unnecessary doubts, especially over her nationality. Fox News, the girl's No.1 US "fan", emphasized in one article how the 18-year-old Gu "dodged questions about citizenship after winning gold for China." Others keep suggesting her decision to compete for China is all about money.

This is a quite interesting phenomenon, compared to how the Chinese media reported the Nathan Chen triumph on Tuesday. Chinese media just covered the new record made by the figure skater, as simple as that.

But why can't some US media just do the same? What has led to differences in the US news coverage of these two world-class athletes? In my opinion, the main difference here is probably the country they each represent - in other words, an unusual contrast between a Chinese American and an "American Chinese."

That, however, shouldn't have been a problem at all. Tennis star Naomi Osaka, who once held both Japanese and US citizenship, decided to give up the latter to represent Japan in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Yet, the US media didn't make a big deal out of her decision, nor called her a "traitor" or "money chaser." Such a distinction proves that it is China that is at the heart of the problem.

In fact, the US media coverage of the Winter Olympics has long strayed from the sports event itself. Judging from how they cover Gu's story, it is evident they question or even deny an individual's personal choices from a geopolitical perspective. Such a mistaken way of thinking has made US news reports biased.

For some US elites, Gu's mistake is that she chose China, a country that is nothing but a "parvenu" in their eyes. Therefore, they cannot imagine or understand why people like Gu would "betray" the world's greatest power. The fact that the young athlete chose Beijing undermines their sense of superiority. This is exactly why some US media keep bashing Gu while applauding Chen: They intend to safeguard Washington's fragile self-esteem.

Some Americans really need to wake up, as the US is no longer a never-never land for many people around the world. Those wise and sober enough can see that time has already begun to shift in China's favor.

Chen is a second-generation immigrant. What he and his family represent is how global talent flows traditionally - choosing the US over their home country. Gu's decision, on the other hand, is a vivid example of where the preferred destination for a section of global talent.

This trend can already be witnessed in the scientific community since a few years ago. And now it extends to the sports world with a tendency to grow to be a new "wave of immigration." It is clear which country truly represents the future.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn